The social worker tells us that the river is sick
- samefacescollective
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
Poetry, Kate Beck
We’re waiting in the room with no cords in the walls, no garbage cans in the corners. You are in green and you look tired, concern stitched through, into our faces. We’ve been waiting for a long time, nothing to distract us other than ourselves. The social worker comes in with a student and a clipboard. The student asks us questions
Why are you here? But why right now?
How long has this been going on for?
Have you been here before? Yes, I know you have.
Is there anything else you’d like me to know?
Are you safe?
Finally, the social worker kneels down and comes close, the river is unwell, she tells us. We know. The river has been unwell for a long time, she tells us all. We know, some better than others. There are two options, you could do everything or you could do nothing, she says, and you shake and thrash to this. She waits for your response. Droughts are getting longer, your glacier is melting faster than we thought, I don’t know what else to say, she says, the student is nodding.
Kate Beck is an environmental policy researcher and regional planner by day, and, when not working, she uses this background to better understand the places where her emotions find themselves. Kate is from Calgary, Alberta, and still calls it home, although she currently lives in Washington State.